Here in My Arms
by excesssummer
Summary: Set right before the finale. For the first time, Shawn brings her rumored boyfriend to practice. What's Derek to do about it? Pairing: Shawn Johnson/Derek Hough; Shawn Johnson/OC. TV Show: DWTS, All Stars.
1. Chapter 1: More Than Words

**CHAPTER 1.**

"He's an ass, Derek," Melissa Rycroft, leaning down to where Derek Hough sat on the stairs, whispered. "Look at him."

Derek gave a start, not realizing that Melissa had caught him staring. His partner, Shawn Johnson, had just arrived and, for the first time all season, was accompanied by Ryan – her rumored on-again-off-again boyfriend. As they entered the rehearsal studio, Derek couldn't help but stare: the guy was handsome enough, buff enough, sure, but he had a smug expression on his face that Derek, for some reason, did not care for. Add to that the fact that Shawn was carrying two huge bags and her all-muscle hunk had made no move to help her, content as he was to look around and smile at everyone – and Derek knew an instant dislike that surprised him with its intensity.

Shaking his head both to clear the strange emotion and to appear nonchalant, Derek looked back at Melissa, who was looking pointedly at Ryan with disgust on her face. "It's her life, Mel," he said, a warning in his voice.

To forestall what appeared to be a retort from Melissa, Derek stood up, fixed the politest expression on his face and approached Shawn. He stooped to give the petite blonde a quick hug, aware that Ryan was watching him, and used the movement to sweep Shawn's bags from her hands. "Hey there, Shawnee J," he said.

"Hey," Shawn said, her smile as ready as usual, giving the heavy bags up with a sigh. "I don't think you've met Ryan?"

Derek straightened up to look the younger man in the face. "No, but hey," he said, carefully arranging his features into what he hoped was a smile, shifting the bags to his left hand and holding out his right to shake. "Welcome. You here to support Shawn for the finale?"

Ryan gripped Derek's hand tightly – a bit more tightly than was necessary, true, but Derek hadn't been lifting women into the air and spending his life dancing as a sport for nothing – so he returned the grip just as tightly. Derek watched as Ryan's eyes swept him up and down, gauging his mettle.

"Yeah, thanks," Ryan said as they let go of each other's hands, a silent battle of wills.

Derek nodded briefly. "We need to get started, but anyone who wants to watch is welcome. I'm sure she'd love for you to see her dance."

"Nah, not watching," Ryan said easily. "Just brought her over, and picking her up later." He looked around for Shawn, who in the meantime had apparently moved over to Melissa, who was whispering fiercely to her. "Hey," he said in her direction, "I'm off. Be ready by eleven, okay?"

Shawn looked back at Ryan, her face carefully composed. "Yeah, okay."

At that, Ryan walked out of the room, but not before giving a more cheerful wave and a wink at the cameras that were constantly running around them. Immediately Melissa began talking to Shawn in a quiet voice, and although no one could hear what it was that she was saying, it was obvious – with her flailing hands and animated expressions – that she was not very happy.

"What's eating Mel?" Tony Dovolani, Melissa's partner, suddenly asked.

Derek turned towards the older pro and shook his head. "She doesn't like Shawn's boyfriend."

"Yeah?" Tony looked around and, as if on impulse, lowered his voice. "Tell you the truth, he looked like an absolute douche."

Grinning at the comment – and, if he were a bit more honest with himself, agreeing with it wholeheartedly – Derek shrugged. "I told Mel it was none of our business. It's Shawn's life."

"Pshaw," Tony muttered. "I'm sure she'd be more willing to dump him if there was _someone_ who's a better alternative." And with a hard slap on Derek's shoulder – leaving his shoulder stinging and his neck twinging – Tony walked away from him, going over to the stairs where Melissa's tirade seemed to have ended and the two girls were locked in a hug.

Too far away to hear any conversation, Derek watched silently as Tony gently disengaged his own partner from Shawn and gave her a hug himself. Melissa tenderly tucked Shawn's blonde hair away from her face and gave her one last, swift smile before turning away and going off to the other rehearsal room with her own partner.

From where she stood, Shawn looked around until her eyes met Derek's. For a beat they did nothing but look at each other, not saying a word, communicating understanding even with the room's worth of distance between them.

_You okay? _Derek asked silently, his brows going up in question and concern even as he lowered her bags onto one of the benches.

Shawn smiled at him, a tremulous sort of smile, and nodded.

Derek smiled back.

* * *

_"What the heck is that guy here for, Shawn?" Melissa whispered fiercely. "I can't believe you're still with him."_

_"He wanted to come," Shawn whispered back, her eyes locked on the two blonde men who were gripping hands like they were casually trying to rip the other's off. She saw Ryan give Derek a gauging sweep, to which her dancing partner, thankfully, did not react._

_After a short exchange with Derek, Ryan turned back to Shawn, his stance almost dismissive. "Hey," he said in her direction, "I'm off. Be ready by eleven, okay?"_

_Shawn looked back at Ryan. "Yeah, okay."_

_"Look at that." Melissa hissed again, watching Ryan's departing wave at the camera crew. "A while ago he looked like he wanted to murder Derek, or at least beat him up, and now he's all smiley in front of the cameras." She paused, looking at Shawn. "Answer me, Shawn. Are you still together?"_

_"I … I don't know, Mel," Shawn said. "We broke up, but … he said he was sorry, and he wanted to come, and I just felt, you know, maybe if we work on it some more …"_

_"Oh, come on, Shawn. He wants to leech off your popularity, that's all." Melissa said sarcastically._

_"Oh, Mel, he's not that bad," Shawn said, feeling the need to defend Ryan. "He's just … you know, such a boy sometimes."_

_"Yeah? And his flirting with other women when you guys are in a committed relationship … that's just him being a boy?" Melissa snorted in disgust, her arms flailing helplessly. "Believe me, Shawn. This coming from a woman who thought she had found love because she was only too willing to close her eyes to the truth, was disappointed as a result, and humiliated on national TV to boot."_

_Shawn looked at Melissa then, her eyes anguished. "But at least he says he loves me."_

_Melissa's face softened as she gathered the younger girl into a hug. "Oh, Shawnee girl, what a guy says doesn't do anything. It's what he does … and sometimes, the things he doesn't say … those are the things that matter most." _


	2. Chapter 2: Falling into You

**A/N: **I took a lot of liberties in this chapter, but I can explain! I actually wrote this part the night before the finale, so I had no idea what instant dance they'd be doing, and since I'd been yearning that they dance something intense and contemporary, I simply allowed that yearning to be written in. Funny, though, that they ended up with the cha cha cha anyway! Sorry if I offend those who insist on sticking to events that actually happened!

**CHAPTER 2**

The freestyle that he had designed was so complicated that after almost four straight hours of dancing Derek could swear his neck was about to come off. But even more than his concern for his own pain was his concern for Shawn, who had withdrawn into a pensive, quiet mood. From his experience he knew that this only meant one thing – that she was hurting as well.

After yet another failed attempt at a fairly simple lift, Derek sighed. "Maybe we should take a breather, and work on that instant dance first."

Shawn looked up at him from her position on the floor. "What's the instant dance gonna be?"

At this, Derek smiled. "Guess. Bet you can't."

She shifted and squinted up at him. "Cha cha cha?"

"Nope. And good thing, too, because you don't want to forget your steps for a finale," Derek quipped, and he was relieved to see Shawn smile at his small joke.

"I know. I was totally dreading that!" she said, smiling at the memory. "So okay … is it the paso then? Or the foxtrot?" At each shake of Derek's head, Shawn's smile became a little bit wider, like a little child being presented with one surprise after another. "Okay, I give up. What is it?"

Derek took a deep breath. "It's contemporary."

Instantly, the smile slipped from Shawn's face. "You're kidding."

"Am not," Derek said, turning away to walk towards the music players. "I've got several pieces of music here; they gave it to me this morning. I think the production staff were so impressed by the favorable reaction to the contemporary pieces we'd done in the show that they want to bring it back for at least the finale." He put the music on and walked over to where Shawn was still seated on the floor, the remote in his hands. He held his other hand out for her to take. "Come on, Johnson. Let's get this done."

Shawn grabbed his hand and stood up slowly, facing Derek, but her eyes were downcast. "I don't dance contemporary."

Derek sighed, and lifted Shawn's face up to meet his eyes. "But you trust me, right?" At her nod, he continued, "Then show me. Show me you trust me. Contemporary dance is really just moving to the rhythm of the music, so move with me if you don't know what to do. I'm not choreographing anything, though. For now I just want you to feel the music. Don't think, feel. Let it be."

Shawn nodded mutely.

Derek turned Shawn around to face the mirrors and placed his right hand on hers. With his left he turned the player on and slid the remote across the floor. As he stood up to look at their combined reflection, he saw Shawn watching him, and he was caught by the intensity of her stare.

Eyes locked, the song began to swell in the room, and for the first time, the strains of Frank Sinatra's _All The Way_ started.

_When somebody loves you_

_It's no good unless he loves you all the way_

_Happy to be near you_

_When you need someone to cheer you all the way_

Derek and Shawn began to move, their actions naturally syncing with each other, flowing like water. Their arms swept forwards, backwards, even as their bodies followed without conscious thought, touching, but not quite.

_Taller than the tallest tree is_

_That's how it's got to feel_

_Deeper than the deep blue sea is _

_That's how deep it goes if it's real_

They had gotten to the middle of the room without realizing it, and Shawn spun away from Derek, leaving him feeling strangely empty.

_When somebody needs you _

_It's no good unless he needs you all the way _

_Through the good or lean years _

_And for all the in-between years come what may_

Derek spun after Shawn, catching her perfectly as she moved to join him. Still her back was turned to him, and all he could see was her hair, her golden hair, flashing in the sunlight. Moving purely on instinct, he wrapped his arms around her, and she stopped moving in mid-step, her head craned to one side. At that moment the urge to nuzzle the exposed skin of her neck was so great, his involvement in the moment so strong, that he gave in and felt her shiver in his arms in response.

_Who knows where the road will lead us _

_Only a fool would say _

_But if you'll let me love you _

_It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way …_

Shawn turned around to face him gracefully, her hands resting on his chest. They both stopped moving completely as Shawn slowly raised her face to look up at Derek.

_… all the way._

In the silence that followed, the two simply stared at each other, breathing hard. Derek could not remember seeing Shawn so beautiful, so fiercely lit by passion that her face was flushed. He reached out, tentatively, to trace her lips with a trembling finger.

"Derek," she whispered against his finger, her breath warm on his skin, her eyes fluttering closed.

And in his head he answered, _Shawn_, but he couldn't seem to say anything or do anything except to lean forward and …

BAM!

The door opened suddenly and the two sprang apart guiltily, their embarrassment and compromising positions going unnoticed only because the person who had opened the door had his head down, speaking urgently into a phone, gesturing madly. Then he raised his head and Derek, through a haze of scrambled emotions, vaguely recognized the face of the newcomer.

Ryan clicked his phone off and looked towards Shawn's direction. "Let's go."

Derek looked at Shawn, who looked back at him, her face going completely blank. If she had, in any way, indicated that he could deck the guy, he would have, in a heartbeat. But she merely closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked away, turning to pick her bag up from the bench where Derek had last placed it. Without a last glance at Derek she walked across the room and left.

Ryan gave Derek a curt nod. "I'll have her back after an hour."

"Yeah. Sure." Derek said, leaning against the farthest wall he could muster, still trying to calm himself down enough to act normally. "Thanks."

And just like that, Derek was alone in an empty room, the silence so loud that it deafened him.

* * *

_Derek was still sitting in his corner when a shadow fell across him. "Dude. What's wrong with you?"_

_Recognizing the voice of his best friend and brother, Mark Ballas, Derek looked up. "I'm … thinking," he said, which was the best he could muster at the moment._

_"Of what?" Mark asked in a joking, teasing voice. "Or is the better question … of who?"_

_Derek groaned._

_"What happened?" Mark said, his voice gentling._

_"Not sure," Derek said. He put his face in his hands. "I'm … not sure."_

_Mark crouched in front of Derek and put out a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Bro, I think you are. You just need to admit it to yourself." _


	3. Chapter 3: Every Time We Touch

**CHAPTER 3**

Shawn had never had a stranger lunch in recent memory.

She was with Ryan, who was chatting away like there was no tomorrow, and she knew she should be basking in the great California sunshine, laughing and having fun with the guy she believed loved her – but she was definitely not doing anything of the sort. Her brain was slow and uncoordinated, her thoughts coming in as an incoherent jumble, and there was nothing remotely interesting in the food she'd blindly allowed Ryan to order for her.

_In the silence that followed, they simply stared at each other, breathing hard. Derek reached out, tentatively, to trace her lips with a trembling finger …_

_"Derek," she had whispered._

She could swear she could still taste the salt of his skin, calloused and roughened by the rigors of dancing as it was. Was there such a thing? How could memory be so sharp as to remember taste, smell, sound – even when they weren't there?

_They had gotten to the middle of the room without realizing it, and, propelled by the music, Shawn spun away from Derek. _

_Immediately she felt cold, bereft – and all the while the music swelled around her, catching her, cradling her in her moment of emptiness. But the music was not enough – nothing was ever going to be enough, not after she had known the comfort and warmth of his arms …_

_She turned around, and, as if pulled by the force of her longing, he was back, encircling her, protecting her, cherishing her … and then his lips were on her neck, the contact so unfamiliar yet so intimate that she was unprepared for the heady rush of emotions that rocketed through her, shattering her and yet filling her, all at the same time …_

Shawn shivered, goose bumps appearing all over her arms. Ryan continued to eat his burger, completely oblivious to Shawn's abstracted gaze.

_"Derek," she had whispered._

_And the blue that were his eyes darkened, forming pools that she all but drowned in. Almost against her will, she closed her eyes, afraid that if she didn't, she would be lost – lost, never to be found …_

What would have happened if Ryan never came in, just at that moment? Shawn didn't want to think of that right now, really. She had looked back at Derek, and the look on his face was one of such horror that she could not bear to see it. Did he regret anything? Did she imagine the moment they had shared? He was, after all, a gifted dancer and artist; perhaps he got into such emotions all the time they were nothing new. But for her – a naïve girl from Iowa – they were all so, so new.

And they were so, so real.

Shawn closed her eyes. What should she do now? She didn't know if she could face Derek again after she had laid her heart out for him to see, only to be closed off. There was still the finale to do, the freestyle to finish, the last push for the trophy … she willed herself to make longer and longer lists, higher and higher goals: an old trick she used to do whenever she was nervous before a competition. Usually it worked, but for some reason, this one defied all tricks – the memory of their last dance, of the most erotic touch she had ever known – eclipsed all else.

_In the silence that followed, they simply stared at each other, breathing hard. Derek reached out, tentatively, to trace her lips with a trembling finger …_

_"Derek," she had whispered._

"Yeah, and here he is again," she heard Ryan say suddenly.

Shawn gave a start, not knowing that she had said Derek's name out loud, and opened her eyes. True enough, there he was again – striding down the road, his brow furrowed, and he was – God help her – he was making a beeline for their table.

"Ryan," he said when he reached them, without so much as a preamble, "I need Shawn."

Shawn watched Ryan look up at Derek, his face flushing. "We're still eating. I told you, I'd have her back in an hour."

"Something urgent. I can't not," Derek said shortly, and since Shawn knew him well by now, she could see he was speaking through gritted teeth. He looked at her, his face shadowed in the strong sunlight, his eyes unreadable – and he held out a hand for her to take. "Shawn?"

Mutely, Shawn took his hand and used it to stand up. Derek gripped it, interlacing his fingers with hers, and he turned to look back at Ryan. "Have a good lunch."

"What? Wait – Shawn – we're not yet done!" Ryan shouted after them.

Neither Derek nor Shawn spoke or turned around. They kept walking, Shawn trailing and unsure of where Derek was bringing her, but she was sure of one thing: wherever it was, she was willing to go, as long as he was with her.


	4. Chapter4: You're My Everything

**CHAPTER 4**

In complete silence, Derek and Shawn went back to the rehearsal studio, but instead of going into the yellow room he led her to the smaller back room where they would usually go to ice their injuries. As soon as the door closed, Shawn turned around to face Derek, fully intending to clear the air.

Whatever thought or words she may have had died on her lips even before she could open them. Derek took one long stride across the room and, as soon as he was near enough, gathered her up in his strong, strong arms and kissed her.

_Derek could not remember doing something that had felt even more right than what he was doing at the moment. Holding Shawn in his arms like this – showing her what he felt in this way – was truly the best thing he had ever done or would ever do in his life._

_She tasted like vanilla and strawberries and something intoxicating: a drug, a potent drug that knocked away all his senses and sent his mind reeling. He couldn't have enough of her, couldn't have enough …_

Shawn's mind simply went blank when Derek began kissing her. All she knew was a feeling of great completeness in her as she returned his gesture with equal passion. It was like finding herself, waking up from a dream, and coming home all at the same time.

Her legs went rubbery; none of her muscles seemed to remember what they were for at that moment. As ever, like he instinctively knew what she needed, Derek scooped her up into his arms, settling her legs to grip his waist, and she held on to him for dear life. She couldn't let go of his lips – she had to have more, more …

_Every fiber of his being wanted nothing but to make Shawn his at that very moment, but then a small voice in Derek's mind began to pipe up: stop! Stop! Don't just do this! And joining that voice was the one of Mark, telling him: she needs for you to tell her. She needs for you to explain it to her. She trusts you so much. Be honest with her: she deserves the truth._

_With every effort he could muster and a will he never knew he possessed, Derek gently ended the kiss, and her little sigh of disappointment almost proved to be his undoing. To gain some objectivity, he gripped her forearms and moved her away slightly. Her face was flushed, her lips swollen, and her golden eyes were lit by a fire so bright that it burned him. But things needed to be said, and he needed to say them now, now, before he lost all control._

"Shawn," Derek whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "I … I need to talk to you."

Shawn looked up at him, her face going somber. "Are you … are you going to tell me you're sorry?" She slid down from his waist and stood before him. "Was that … just to see if it works?"

Derek gaped at Shawn, horrified. "What? No! What made you think that?"

"Well, when … when we were dancing a while ago, I thought … I felt … we had something. I was so lost … I was ready for … anything, anything to happen. But when Ryan … when Ryan came in, you had this completely horrified look on your face that I thought I did something wrong …"

"Oh, my God, Shawn," Derek said, pulling Shawn backward and down towards the couches, seating her beside him. "No, no, babe. I was horrified at _myself_. I was afraid that I had crossed a line that you were not ready for, or that you were not willing to cross with me. I mean, we've already broken so many rules this season, I was not sure you'd want to break _this _one. I guess … I was … just terrified."

Shawn turned sideways to look into his eyes. "Terrified? Of what?"

"Of you." Derek cupped her chin. "Of the trust and the faith you put in me. Of your innocence and your loyalty. Of … how … strongly I feel for you." He stroked her cheek tenderly. "I'm not sure how to handle it. This … this is all new to me."

Shawn looked at Derek from under hooded eyes. "I … I don't know what to say to that." She smiled softly. "But all I know is …the whole time I was with Ryan? I … I wasn't with him, _with him_. I was with you."

Derek let out a breath, one that he didn't realize he'd been holding all that while, and he gathered Shawn into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. "Baby, you don't know what that just does to me."

"Yeah?" she asked, and Derek could hear a smile in her words.

"Yeah. I mean … you're still officially with him. I didn't want to come between you, if you guys …"

"I know. Mel was really … upset with me for even bringing him. But he'd been a part of my life for so long, you know? Old habits die hard." She twisted around in Derek's arms to look at him again, an impish smile on her face. "But you know me. I love … to learn new things."

Throwing his head back in a laugh, Derek took Shawn's hands in his, threading their twined fingers together – but when he looked at her again, his eyes were serious. "And now you know me. I love … you." He grinned. "You hear that? I love _you_, Shawn Johnson."

Shawn snuggled back into Derek's arms. "Crazy guy," she sighed, her voice muffled by his shirt, and this time, when she spoke again, Derek could swear she was speaking directly to his heart. "Of course I love you, too, Derek Hough."

**THE END**

**A/N: **Hope you guys enjoyed this story. Sorry it took a while to put the final chap up ... thanks for reading, and to everyone who commented. You really made my day! :-)


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